Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,138 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kimberley
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Kimberley Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kimberley

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kimberley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kimberley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,138 in Kimberley, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kimberley $1,138

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,907 in Kimberley, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Kimberley $1,907

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,676 in Kimberley, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Kimberley $2,676

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kimberley are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Kimberley 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$12.12 R 200

-10.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$36.35 R 599

21.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.22 R 103

89.07%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.99 R 49.32

23.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.29 R 21.17

3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.30 R 21.49

-36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.79 R 45.92

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.67 R 44.00

85.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.55 R 25.50

-5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.16 R 19.03

91.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.94 R 48.49

-49.66%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.91 R 48.01

-14.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$6.52 R 107

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.89 R 97.0

35.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$8.33 R 137

50.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.35 R 38.64

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.44 R 40.25

-41.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.78 R 29.25

47.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.34 R 55.0

-35.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.52 R 24.99

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.41 R 23.18

41.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.39 R 22.85

-17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.90 R 14.76

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.28 R 54.0

29.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$6.56 R 108

52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.30 R 37.83

-33.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.87 R 47.29

-7.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.53 R 25.15

-65.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$33.18 R 547

-17.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.58 R 9.55

744.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.82 R 13.51

318.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$13.15 R 217

-59.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.45 R 23.81

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$37.5K R 617.3K

-43.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$38.3K R 630.5K

-39.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$85.4 MX$1,577

$108 R 1,772

-20.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.46 MX$434

$35.15 R 579

-33.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$42.40 R 699

-32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$22.40 R 369

177.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$10.56 R 174

171.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$7.16 R 118

-28.77%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$201 MX$3,715

$242 R 3,981

-16.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$6,107 R 100.6K

-35.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$54.5 R 897

-18.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$30.14 R 497

37.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$101 R 1,669

-28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$90.8 R 1,495

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$263 R 4,329

272.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$338 R 5,574

10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$645 R 10.6K

160.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$928 R 15.3K

17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$806 R 13.3K

389.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$619 R 10.2K

891.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$949 R 15.6K

-22.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.94

4.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Kimberley

$338 29.7% 9.2% $34

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Kimberley

$229 20.1% 11.5% $30

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Kimberley

$181 15.9% 9.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kimberley

$185 16.3% 34.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kimberley

$124 10.9% 11.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Kimberley

$37 3.2% 49.3% $36

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Kimberley

$44 3.9% 15% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 in Kimberley. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Kimberley, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Kimberley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $229 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇦 Kimberley

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

225,160

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kimberley 13,160 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kimberley

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,708 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,138 in Kimberley. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.